You could be putting your health and wellness at risk if your not getting enough quality sleep. Poor sleep can lead to a number of acute and chronic mental and physical health problems, and keep you from enjoying each day as you should.
According to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, “Scientists have gone to great lengths to fully understand sleep’s benefits. In studies of humans and other animals, they have discovered that sleep plays a critical role in immune function, metabolism, memory, learning, and other vital functions.”
But know you’re not alone. Approximately 60 million Americans suffer from some type of sleep disorder, from insomnia to sleep apnea. You can refit your bedroom for optimal sleep, like aromatherapy or searching for the best place to buy a mattress in order to get the perfect night’s sleep.
If you take better sleep measures, you’re world may change. And you may live longer. To inspire you to make some much needed changes in the bedroom, we compiled a list of health issues your not so dreamy sleep habits could cause. Let’s take a closer look.
1. Overall Risk Of Death
Sleep is critical to staying healthy and happy. During sleep your body and mind recovers from the day’s activities and stress. This recovery is important to reducing any issues that could lead to big issues. In fact, sleeping less than six hours per night may increase your risk of premature death by 12 percent. Not good.
2. Feeling Sluggish?
Fatigue and a general feeling of sluggishness are common side effects when you don’t get enough quality sleep. There are two main types of sleep; REM and non-REM sleep. During the course of the night you will go through the stages of each several times. And this is needed for a healthy and non-fatigued you. Feeling tired and fatigued can also put you at risk for an accident while driving, or doing any physical task.
3. Depression More Likely
There are over 16 million people in the US battling at least one depressive disorder every year. And one potential cause for depression is lack of sleep. If you sleep less than six hours per night, you could be increasing your risk for depression and anxiety, according to research. For instance, insomnia has been directly linked to depression. Don’t let yourself fall into depression over lack of quality sleep.
4. Sleep Makes You Smarter
Did you know that plenty of quality sleep can keep your intelligence up? This is important, especially for people who have to use their mind intensely while at work. If you’ve noticed that your work is harder than usual and you’re not sleeping well, it’s time to make some changes in the bedroom. Sleep smarter and be smarter.
5. Obesity Is A Sleep health Issue
Obesity is a very serious health problem today. Diet and exercise do play a big role, but so does the amount and quality of your sleep. During REM sleep your heart rate and breathing will speed up, and during non-REM sleep your heart rate and breathing will slow. This is important for your metabolism. Not getting enough sleep can hinder those natural physiological processes.
6. Libido Decreases
One side effect lack of quality sleep can cause is decreased libido, or lack of sex drive. This can cause external problems, like marital or a decrease in self-confidence, thus leading to anxiety and depression. The lack of sleep can cause fatigue and slow physiological process down like metabolism. These changes can switch off your sex drive. The good news is that better and more sleep, healthy diet, and exercise can bring it back.
7. Sleep And Aging Gracefully
Instead of spending a ton of money on anti-aging products and elective surgeries, look at your sleep habits. Lack of quality sleep has been found to increase aging in both men and women. Wrinkles, dark rings under the eyes, and puffiness in the face can all be attributed to poor sleep. If you want to fight aging, simply get better sleep.
Wrapping Up . . .
The amount and quality of your sleep plays a major role in keeping you physically and mentally fit. Poor sleep has been linked to serious illnesses like cardiovascular disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, the number one cause of death among Americans. Not to mention these illnesses can seriously impact your daily life.
In order to be the happiest and healthiest you can be, talk to your doctor about your sleep habits, as well as take a look at your bedroom. Is it conducive to a great night’s sleep. You may need to make some sacrifices, like taking the TV out of the bedroom. But it will be worthwhile down the road.